The national study was developed by The Creative Group, a specialized staffing service providing marketing, advertising, creative and web professionals on a project basis, and conducted by an independent research firm. It is based on 250 telephone interviews -- 125 with advertising executives randomly selected from the nation's 1,000 largest advertising agencies and 125 with senior marketing executives randomly selected from the nation's 1,000 largest companies.

Advertising and marketing executives were asked, "Which of the following statements most closely resembles your attitude toward unusual or gimmicky resumes (e.g., a resume that comes in a shoe 'to get a foot in the door')?" Their responses:

                                                     Marketing   Advertising
                                                     Executives  Executives

  They may increase a candidate's chances of
   being hired                                              2%         8%
  They can be beneficial, but most miss the mark           10%        17%
  They are OK, as long as the style doesn't detract
   from the information                                    34%        46%
  Gimmicks are unprofessional; it's best to use a
   straight-forward resume                                 52%        26%
  Don't know                                                2%         3%
                                                          100%       100%

Survey respondents also were asked to describe the most unusual or creative tactics they have heard of job seekers using to land marketing or advertising positions. Following are some of the verbatim responses:

  -- "The job seeker sent a bowling pin and said, 'I'll bowl you over.'"
  -- "One candidate took a picture of himself with every one of the client's
     products and sent three photos a week for an entire month."
  -- "The applicant sent six postcards, and each was a piece of a puzzle.
     When you put the puzzle together, it was his resume."
  -- "One person sent an egg carton with faux eggs and a message saying she
     'delivered fresh ideas daily.'"
  -- "The applicant sent his resume on a big hamburger roll, saying his
     'brains were on a roll.'"
  -- "Someone made wrapping paper out of aluminum can ends and put her
     resume inside."
  -- "A candidate sent a baseball mitt to be part of the team."
  -- "The applicant had her name printed on golf balls that got into the
     hands of executives who were hiring."
  -- "A candidate sent a piggy bank with his art samples inside. I called
     just to find out how he got his artwork into the bank."
  -- "One applicant used an office building across the street to place a
     sign with his qualifications posted."
  -- "One person put up posters of himself in the garage where the executive
     parked."
  -- "An applicant made an interactive, computerized presentation, showing
     she knew our clients and the work we do."

Because the views on unusual job-hunting strategies are mixed, The Creative Group recommends thinking carefully before straying from conventional tactics. They offer the following tips to those who are considering offbeat ways of reaching out to employers:

  -- Get in the know. Learn as much as possible about the firm and the
     hiring manager to gain a sense of how much the organization values
     originality versus tradition.
  -- Avoid cliches. Hackneyed gimmicks, rather than an emphasis on
     creativity, indicate a lack of originality.
  -- Create a cohesive campaign. A novel approach works best if it
     underscores a creative professional's unique skill set and is
     consistent with the individual's portfolio and other self-promotional
     materials.